At the height of his power, Pablo Escobar was worth an estimated $3 billion (USD) and his Medellín Cartel controlled 80% of the global cocaine market. So he may have had a few extra dollars to throw around on a private island. In fact, many drug lords had luxurious villas on small islands off the coast of Cartagena, islands that have since been abandoned by their human occupants.

Urban explorer and photographer Stefaan Beernaert, also known as Fotantje, has explored the islands off Catagena and photographed the so-called "Drug Islands." These images came from Escobar's own palatial estate, whose sole resident seems to be a rather large sow. But Beernaert came across several other drug lord houses, from a former guard house (now occupied by a squatter) to a building made of coral. So on top of the drug business, the owner of that particular home was a reef killer.

These silent, crumbling homes are a far cry from what they once were: places where the cartel leaders could throw parties, relax, and plot their next business moves.